


No Use Playing Dumb

by MorganAW



Category: Daria (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-12 09:29:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19943917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganAW/pseuds/MorganAW
Summary: "There’s no use playing dumb, right?” And that was the moment that Daria’s emotions – typically repressed so far under layers of sarcasm and cynicism that even she didn’t notice them – finally boiled up in the form of anger. Trent Lane, of all people, should know how she acts around someone she likes and that person is certainly not Tom Sloane!





	1. Frustration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Licensing Note: Based on Characters and story lines from _Daria,_ copyright MTV. Text from the show is in green. If you would like to turn off the colored text, click "Hide Creator’s Style" at the top of the page. The tense, pronouns, or wording of these quotes may be slightly modified to fit the scene. All original content and plot for _No Use Playing Dumb_ is released under a [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) license by Morgan A. Wyndham. Cross published on fanfic.net as [MorganAW.](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/9748539/)

*Knock knock*

“Come in,” Daria said without looking up from the pages of _Anna Karenena._

“Hey Daria,” she looked up at Trent’s raspy voice, “have you seen Janey? I think one of us was supposed to give the other one a ride somewhere.” She’d never really understood why her body had chosen _this_ forgetful, lazy, unambitious guy to like, but here they were.

“She’s probably over at Tom’s,” she said, returning her focus to her book, “avoiding me.”

“Oh … or making sure Tom does.”

“Oh no, not you too!” She said with an eyeroll and closing her book. “Look Trent, there’s nothing going on between me and Tom,” _That would require that I was over you._

“If you say so,” he said with a shrug.

“What?” In the years she’d known Trent, he’d never once questioned her sincerity.

“Come on Daria, I’m a musician. I’m very sensitive to shifts in mood.”

“Then your senses must be going into overdrive about now,” she said angrily. She’d tried to avoid Tom at all costs in the beginning until Jane asked her to play nice and now that they were getting along, everyone was throwing these accusations at her.

“Hey, I’ve seen you together. Guys can always tell when other guys are into someone. You know,” he revolved his fingers together as if it in any way explained the situation, “ethereal transference.”

“Trent, even if what you just said made sense, I think I would know if Tom were _into_ me, and he’s _not!”_ She wasn’t the kind of girl guys were ‘into.’ She wasn’t vapid and beautiful like Quinn, or bubbly and complementary like Brittany … she wasn’t even trendy and eclectic like Jane – which was obviously Tom’s type.

“Ok,” he held up his hands as if she were getting hysterical – heaven forbid a woman get angry and contradict a man! – “I should go.” He put his hands in his pockets and turned toward the door. 

Daria realized that this was probably the most they’d ever talked in one conversation and she hadn’t even blushed. She sighed and reminded herself that he was just looking out for his little sister, Daria wasn’t the only one caught up in this whole mess. “I’m sorry Trent, it’s just that I don’t exactly know what’s going on.” 

“Well, whatever it is, no one said you meant for it to happen,” he raised his hand to the doorknob as if ready to make his exit.

“Yeah, ok, thanks,” she stammered out feeling wholly unsatisfied with the whole situation. She didn’t want to ruin Jane’s relationship. She didn’t like Tom, and even if he did like her she hadn’t done anything more than talk to him. Most of all, she was frustrated trying to explain her lack of relationship with the guy she didn’t like to the guy that she did like.

He paused before leaving the room and added: “but there’s no use playing dumb, right?”

And that was the moment that Daria’s emotions – typically repressed so far under layers of sarcasm and cynicism that even she didn’t notice them – finally boiled up in the form of anger. “Right, like you said, there’s no use playing dumb. In that case, Trent, you of all people should know that I. Don’t. Like. Tom.”

“Me?” He asked, his eyebrows raising in surprise. 

“Yes, you. How do _you_ think I act around a guy I like? Ethereal transference my ass!”

“Woah, Daria,” Trent said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“It took months for me to even utter more than a word or two together in front of you, even longer before I could be in your presence without blushing. I put a useless hole in my body because you told me it would be ‘hot’ and I was so distracted by holding your hand that I didn’t even feel it. Then I was terrified what you’d think when you learned I let it close up. I’ve constantly managed to injure or humiliate myself in front of you because I was so damn nervous I forgot how to function. Once I was so nervous about getting dinner with you and the band that I literally broke out into hives and ended up in the hospital. And now you think that I like Tom because of what? I can have long detailed conversations about fascists with him? This is the longest conversation we’ve ever had and that’s only happening because I’m in the middle of a crisis and I can’t talk to Jane because she’s too jealous to be rational, I have no one else to talk to but you – and here you are throwing it all back at me like I have any kind of agency in who Tom pays attention to. So, Trent, given all of that evidence, do _you_ honestly believe I like Tom?” She was certain she’d be sorry for saying even half of this later, but the adrenaline coursing through her veins as well as the fact that she had nothing left to lose made her fearless for the moment. 

“Look, Daria,” Trent said, nervously re-entering the room, “there’s a big difference between a crush and a relationship. So things are different with Tom, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t feel …”

“I feel nothing when I’m around Tom. Perhaps amusement when he says something witty, intellectual stimulation when we talk about literature, cinema, or politics, but that’s it. My heart doesn’t race, my palms don’t sweat, and my hormones certainly don’t overrule my intellect.”

“Ok,” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed, “so you’re not into Tom.” 

“No,” she replied, sitting beside him.

“No more playing dumb, I guess,” he mused. “You’re still in high school and I’m five years older than you.”

“Mr. Darcy was eight years older than Elizabeth Bennet and people still go gaga over that relationship.”

“Yeah, but you’re like, jailbait.”

“The age of consent in this state is sixteen, I’m seventeen. Besides, ‘bait’ implies temptation, attraction, so let’s not get carried away.”

“Don’t do that. Just because you hide behind big glasses and unflattering clothes doesn’t mean a guy can’t see past them. I mean, this whole conversation started because Tom’s been eying you instead of Janey. You’re like sneaky hot, and smart, and cool.” Daria couldn’t actually believe what he was saying and would have thought this was just another silly daydream except that she could feel the blush spread across her face. “The thing is, you don’t really know me,” he continued, “you think I’m this cool, unobtainable, rockstar, but I’m just a deadbeat townie with a band that’s only two steps out of the garage. You don’t really want me.”

“Trent, I may have major lapses in judgment when I’m in your presence, but that doesn’t mean I’m blind to your faults. You haven’t told me anything I haven’t thought before … but I also know that you have a big heart because you stayed in Lawndale for Jane when none of the other adults in your family cared enough to stick around. You have enough raw talent and artistic integrity to scrape by doing what you love rather than selling out and getting a job. You might even make it bigger someday if you’d only apply yourself a little more and actually practice,” She stopped and sighed, afraid that she was rambling and only making things worse – apparently even her compliments were critical. “What I’m saying is, I _do_ know you, and maybe I do want you.” She stared down at a discarded cup on the floor, finding it easier to look at the suspect black splotches on it than to look at him. Her courage had apparently abated along with her anger. 

“Eeep!” She jumped when his hand brushed her cheek, turning her face to him.

“Do you want me to stop?” He asked, his blue eyes piercing into hers. She shook her head no and he smirked and leaned in to kiss her. Daria had a habit of over-analyzing everything, of thinking and re-thinking everything to death, but in that moment the world narrowed down to her and Trent, to his lips moving against hers. For once in her life her higher brain functions took a break and she just focused on the sensations of her first real kiss.

“Hm,” he said as he pulled back, one hand resting against her neck, “racing heartbeat,” his other hand slid down her arm and he laced his fingers with hers, “sweating palms … what are the odds your hormones will take control of your judgment?” He smirked and she pulled him close for another kiss. 

Unfortunately the odds weren’t with them that evening. They abruptly crashed back to reality at the sound of a doorbell followed quickly by her mother’s voice. Trent jumped off of the bed in a panic and Daria moved to go deal with her parents. Trent caught her hand before she left Penny’s room, “we’ll talk later?” She gave him a nearly imperceptible smile and a nod before heading down the stairs. Her parents ranted at her and bickered with each other the whole drive back, but Daria just stared out of her window in a daze replaying the whole interaction, a ghost of a smile on her lips.


	2. Dye! Dye! My Darling

“Hey!” Jane said enthusiastically in the hallway of school the next morning. 

“Oh, hi,” Daria had been so wrapped up in her thoughts she’d walked right past the Lane house this morning. 

“What’s up, what’s going on, what’s new, how ya doin’?”

“Great,” Daria said unenthusiastically, after a night of over-thinking, she wasn’t sure what was going on or how Jane would react to what happened last night.

“No walkie to school today? What happened?” After a few moments without a response Jane tried again, “hey, what’s up. Talk to me,” she said, bracing herself for bad news.

“I kissed your brother.”

“What?” Jane asked as she stopped in her tracks.

“I kissed Trent,” 

“How could you? Tom’s my boyfri … wait, did you say Trent?” Jane’s hurt expression cleared and she smiled.

“Yeah, I kissed your brother. Sorry if that’s weird.”

“Daria! That’s wonderful!” Jane enveloped her in a hug and Daria looked uncomfortably around at the crowd they’d gathered. “I’m sorry it took a minute for my brain to process what you said, I’ve just been so worried about the whole Tom situation, and you. But you and Trent!”

“Yeah, Trent was worried about that too. Captain oblivious was lecturing me about that and I snapped and recapped the highlights of how I act around the guy I _do_ like. He kinda took over from there.”

“Poor guy always was a bit slow on the uptake, but his heart’s in the right place,” she said endearingly. Daria blushed profusely and couldn’t quite come up with a response to that. “Aw, kid, as long as you don’t expect him to wake up before noon or keep a schedule you two will do alright,” Jane said as she slung her arm around her and they walked down the hall.

~~~

“Hey Daria,” Trent said as he opened the door. He seemed like his normal self and she couldn’t tell what, or if, he was thinking about the kiss.

“Hey Trent,” she tried to be her normal cheery self as well.

“Janey’s upstairs with Tom.” 

“Thanks,” said as she entered, trying to remember how to walk ‘normally’ … trying to move through space as if kissing Trent hadn’t fulfilled one of her longstanding fantasies and rocked the foundations of her world while he stood there acting like nothing had changed. 

She began to head for the stairs, but he grabbed her hand as he closed the door. “Why don’t we give them a bit of alone time,” he smirked, leaning down to give her a kiss. 

“So,” she said with a blush and a hint of a smile as he pulled away, “is this really happening?”

_“I’d_ like to give it a try,” he said with a shrug.

“Me too,” she nodded. “But fair warning, I’m basically just a misanthrope with zero experience with romance.”

He shrugged, “and I’m a lazy bum who’s never had much luck with serious relationships because they’re too much work.”

“So this is doomed from the start then?” She asked with a furrowed brow. 

“Or it could be exactly what we each need … we’ll never know if we don’t try. I’ve always felt like you understood me better than most people.” 

“Yeah, and I suppose you’re one of the few people who like me for myself too. Dammit.” 

He smirked, “trying to talk yourself out of it?” he asked as he leaned down for another kiss.

“Maybe … I don’t like to be vulnerable.”

“Hmm, I’ve never seen you as vulnerable. You’re like a fortress or something.”

“Yeah, because I don’t let people in. I’m just afraid you’ll be able to penetrate my defenses before you even realize you’re doing any damage.”

“Hey, that’d be a pretty cool lyric … I’m a fortress within/I don’t let people in/you’ll penetrate my defenses/before you realize your sin ...” He sang as he lightly tapped the tempo on her shoulder.

“Trent!” she sighed, trying to reign him back in to the conversation at hand.

“Sorry … When the muse hits you know?” She looked at him warily as he smiled, “the position’s open, you know.”

“To be your muse?” She asked dryly, “well, you’d sure as hell know when she ‘hit’ if I was your muse.”

He gave a raspy chuckle that turned into a cough, “Good one, Daria.” Noticing her look of annoyance, he added, “look, I’m not trying to break anything. You’re still Janey’s best friend I don’t wanna screw that up and I know I messed up the last time we tried to collaborate, but I think we could be good together.”

“Yeah,” she sighed, “I suppose I do too.” 

“Cool,” he said as he leaned in again. She stood on her tip-toes to kiss him back. His arm folded around her, with his hand resting at the small of her back. She grabbed his shoulder to support herself as the kiss deepened. 

“Yo Trent! Did I hear ...” Jane’s voice wafted down the stairs, “... Ahh! My eyes!” She shouted.

“What the hell?” Tom yelled as he followed her down the stairs.

“Sorry about that,” Daria looked down, embarrassed.

“No biggie,” Jane smirked, “you had to learn about kissing sometime. I’ll just have to announce myself before I enter rooms from now on if I don’t want to assault my eyes with the sight of you making out with my brother.”

Daria tried to put some space between them to relieve everyone’s tension, but Trent kept his arm firmly around her waist.

“Hey, get your hands off of her!” Tom demanded, taking an aggressive step closer to Trent.

“Woah, chill man,” Trent put up his free hand to try to calm Tom, “what’s the big deal about me kissing my girlfriend?” He was clearly staking a claim against a potential rival.

“Girlfriend?” Tom’s eyes widened and he sent a questioning look at Daria, “since when?”

“Um, about a minute ago?” She answered.

“I can’t believe you would do this!” Tom said, fisting his hand at his side.

“Excuse me?” Daria said, once again shedding her embarrassment for anger, “who are you to judge me?”

“Yeah, wait,” Jane said, shifting to stand closer to Trent and Daria to glare at her boyfriend, “why _do_ you care so much about Daria and Trent’s relationship?”

“I … She …” he sputtered for a minute, clearly trying to find a reason other than blind jealousy, before settling on: “He’s an adult and she’s a teenager, why is nobody else upset about this?”

“Because Daria has been into Trent since the day they met?” Jane said with a shrug.

“He’s just using her!”

“Hey man, I care about Daria, I wouldn’t hurt her,” Daria felt Trent’s fingers tighten around her waist and knew that Tom had struck a nerve. She inched closer to him to show her support. “Besides, if I were just looking for a fling why would I choose my sister’s best friend?”

“I don’t know, easy access? Come on _man,_ ” Tom mimicked Trent’s intonation with a sneer, “are you going to tell me you’re a virgin?”

“No,” Trent answered truthfully then squinted his eyes at Tom, “are you?” 

Tom looked momentarily taken aback, “that’s not the point!”

“I’m making it the point while we’re asking personal questions. I think that’s only fair since you’re dating my sister _and_ have been flirting with Daria all week.” Daria and Jane stood flanking Trent at this point, all three looked expectantly at Tom.

“That’s different, I’m the same age as them!” Jane’s face fell, the use of the plural pronoun and the fact that he hadn’t denied flirting with Daria didn’t escape any of them.

“No, Jane,” Tom’s face softened as he looked at her, “that’s not what I meant …”

“Yeah …” Jane said numbly.

“You know what,” Tom said, running a hand through his hair in frustration, “I’ve got to go.”

“Yeah,” Jane repeated with a steadier voice and opened the door, “you do.” Tom stormed out and Jane shut the door behind him, dejectedly resting her head against it.

“Um, are you ok?” Daria asked uncomfortably. Consoling heartbreak wasn’t exactly her forte. 

“Ehh,” Jane shrugged, striving for nonchalance, “ç’est la vie.”

They stood there awkwardly for a minute before Daria remembered her reason for coming in the first place, “so what’s the big reveal?”

“It doesn’t matter anyway, it was stupid.”

“Come on, Janey,” Trent added, “you were staring at that tiger for like a half hour, it must be important.”

“Yeah,” she gave a weak half smile, “ok, c’mon,” she gestured and they followed her up to her room and revealed a self-portrait amidst jungle foliage. She had a determined look in her eyes and blond streaks in her black hair. “The lady, or the tiger ... It was supposed to be my new look.”

“Very nice,” Daria said … the same reaction she had to most of Jane’s paintings.

“I dig it,” Trent added.

Jane slumped down onto the bed, “I suppose I felt things crumbling with Tom and wanted to spice things up … I guess it was a bit of a cry for help. I don’t think I can look past that scene down there, he was obviously jealous … so I guess there’s no need to look cool for Tom anymore, is there?”

“So don’t do it for Tom, do it in spite of Tom,” Daria suggested, “don’t let that asshole break your spirit. Be fierce, be Jane Lane!”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, it makes a statement,” Trent said.

“And what statement is that at this point?” Jane asked.

“Cross me and I’ll eat your entrails on my pizza,” Daria quipped.

“So, does that mean you’ll assist in the procedure?”

“Uhh...”

~~~

Daria had voiced her protests against helping dye Jane’s hair consistently through their search through the plethora of agriculturally inspired shades of blond dye at the pharmacy, while she was mixing of the chemicals, and as she was painting stripes with shaking hands. Jane had managed to shoot down each attempt with an appeal to female bonding in her time of woe. Now that they were looking at the splotchy orange mess they’d made Daria fought down the urge to defend herself.

Jane had come to terms with the fact that her breakup with Tom wasn’t Daria’s fault, but she was still fragile. This new look was supposed to be her symbolic phoenix rising from the ashes of her failed relationship but it plummeted unceremoniously back down to the earth as they took the shower cap off. 

Daria snuck off into the kitchen as Jane sat on the couch quietly crying. She had to fix this, but she had no idea how. She took a deep breath and released it slowly, she’d make a deal with the devil if she had to. She picked up the phone and dialed. The doorbell rang fifteen minutes later and Daria answered it, holding out the fifty she’d offered as a bribe.

“Daria! I couldn’t possibly take your money, this is a hair crisis and it’s my duty as vice-president of the Fashion Club to aid the less fortunate in their time of need. Take me to her,” Quinn said imperiously as she walked into the house carrying several large bags. Jane glared at Daria initially for calling Quinn in, but after several reassurances from someone who actually knew what they were doing that they could fix it, Jane settled in to let Quinn work her magic while Daria sat off to the side re-immersing herself in _Anna Karennina_. 

Quinn had succeeded in making Jane look human again with solid black hair and was explaining the importance of using a color-safe shampoo and conditioner – “since the orange splotches are only covered by the black dye and could show through if the black wore off” – when Trent returned from band practice. He absently walked into the kitchen, “Hey Janey, Hey Da… Woaha!” He cut of in surprise, recoiling at Quinn’s presence where he’d expected his girlfriend.

“Hey,” Daria said from her spot in the corner, causing him to turn to her and release a relieved sigh.

“Hey,” he leaned over to give Daria a hug and a kiss in greeting. 

She noticed the calculating squint to her sister’s eye and realized she’d have to bribe her after all, _dammit._ “Not a word to mom and dad,” she said holding up the fifty. Quinn gave her a calculating glance before nodding and taking the money.

“Trent, you remember Daria’s sister, Quinn.” 

“Hey, Daria’s sister.”

“Exc-use me, I have a name!” Quinn said in annoyance that a guy was paying more attention to her geeky older sister than her. 

“We ran into some problems and had to call in reinforcements,” Jane interjected, hesitant to piss Quinn off too much after she’d come to the rescue.

“The tiger turned out to be more of a penguin with eczema,” Daria added.

“Bummer,” Trent said, pulling up a chair beside Daria and sitting with his arm draped across the back of her chair.

“Oh no! Is there a dermatology emergency too?” Quinn asked, “I didn’t bring my skin care bag!”

“Settle down, Marry Kay, the eczema was metaphorical.”


	3. I Didn't Know You Had a Brother

“I think I’m finally finding out what it’s like to be a Lane,” Daria said as they walked down the hall, blissfully close to the end of the year.

“That can’t be since it’s only afternoon and you’re already out of bed.”

“I mean the lack of tiresome parental involvement. Mine’ve been so busy they completely forgot to force me into some dumb summer activity. I’m turning into you.”

“You know, sleeping with my brother doesn’t actually give you Lane DNA … even if it does _give_ you the DNA …” Jane said with a shudder.

“I am _not_ sleeping with Trent,” Daria said with a blush.

“Take a joke Daria,” Jane said. “Anyway, hey ironico. You don’t have summer plans, I do.”

“Ironico is not a word.”

“This old commune mate of my mother’s runs an artists colony, I’ve been accepted into their summer program.”

“That’s great.”

“Two months of painting and sculpting my heart out in a college town in the middle of nowhere, starting this weekend.”

“Does this college town have a name, or do you just turn left at the kid with the tractor?”

“Cheer up Daria, without me around you’ll have more time for your budding social life. You and Trent will have the house to yourselves.”

“Like my mom will let me go over there if you’re not around,” Daria said sardonically.

“Who says she has to know,” Jane shrugged, “how often does your mother see me anyway?”

“I suppose. You sure you’ll be ok? Y’know … with everything?”

“Yeah,” Jane sighed, “I think some time alone with my art is what I need. I’m happy for you and Trent, but seeing you all lovey dovey ...”

“Lovey dovey! Take that back!”

“Fine, seeing you all happy and content is a bit hard for me right now.”

“I suppose that’s fair. Can I at least take you out for a good luck pizza before you leave for your big art adventure?”

“Sure, why not.”

~~~

Jane had only been gone for a few days and Daria was bored out of her mind. Trent wasn’t conscious until late afternoon and since her mother always woke her up before she left for work, that left Daria to fill up the rest of her day alone, though she’d rather die of tedium than allow her mother to arrange something for her.

She was laying on her back with her head flung over the side of the bed watching _Sick, Sad, World_ when the phone rang. Quinn marched into her room a minute later carrying the cordless phone, “it’s for you, I think it’s that Trent guy. If you’re going to hog the phone lines, I’ll require a more substantial bribe to keep hiding this from Mom and Dad.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be brief,” Daria said as she flipped over to pick up the phone.

“You better! The new issue of _Waif_ just came in the mail today and Stacy will be calling me any minute to discuss it!”

“We wouldn’t want to hold up that brain trust,” Daria said, grabbing the handset of her phone and indicating for Quinn to hang up the cordless. “Hey,” Daria said into the phone.

“Hey,” Trent replied, his voice even raspier than normal as he’d just woken up. “I learned my lesson last time to ask for you by name, I didn’t want to talk to every member of your family again.”

“Wise choice.”

“So … pizza?”

“Yeah, give me ten minutes?”

“Cool, I could use some breakfast,” Daria glanced at the clock and noted that it was 5:30, “I’ll pick you up in ten.” Fifteen minutes later, Daria saw Trent’s car approaching from the upstairs hall window and ran down the stairs, calling out, “Mom, Dad, I’m going to get pizza with Jane,” as she ran out the door. If her parents knew about her and Trent it would lead to questions, which would undoubtedly lead to tighter restrictions. As it was, Daria had nearly free reign to go to the Lane house whenever she wanted but her mother would certainly put a stop to that if she knew that Trent was anything more to Daria than Jane’s brother, especially if she found out that Jane was out of town for most of the summer. 

After exchanging greetings and a quick peck as she slid into the front seat they drove most of the way in silence. With anyone else it might have felt awkward or uncomfortable, but Trent was a man of few words. Neither of them felt that they needed to fill the air with meaningless conversation and Daria was content to enjoy his low humming as he tapped the beat on the steering wheel. Trent may keep the hours of a vampire and balk at the idea of hard work, but music seemed to be ingrained in him. 

Their comfortable silence was broken as they approached the Pizza King by Brittany’s shrill, “Oh HI Daria!”

She sighed uncomfortably, “Um, hello.”

“Hey Daria,” Kevin looked between the two of them, “I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“What?”

“Jane’s brother is _your_ brother,” Brittany piped in as she wrapped her arms around Kevin’s exposed midriff, “Wow!”

“What?” Daria found herself repeating.

“You’re Trent, right, Jane’s brother?”

“Yeah,” Trent said, confusion evident on his face.

“How long have you and Daria been brothers?” Kevin asked, obviously he’d taken too many hits to the head in Football. “Ach, I mean, how long has _Daria_ been your brother?” He looked pleased with himself for a minute before muttering: “wait a minute ...”

“Actually …” Trent began, but Daria cut him off in a panic.

“Um, listen it’s been great talking and all, but we’ve got to get back to the rent a brother shop before they charge us for an extra day, bye.”

As they walked away, Daria heard Kevin’s final pronouncement: “You know what babe, I don’t think he’s her brother at all.”

“Hey, wouldn’t that make Jane Daria’s sister too?” Brittany’s high pitched voice took longer to fade into the distance.

“What’s up?” Trent asked as they made their way down the strip mall.

“I can’t do this. I can’t spend the evening explaining to people in there that no, you’re not my brother and yes, you are Jane’s brother, but you’re also actually my uh ...” 

“Boyfriend?” he supplied with a nervous smirk.

She sighed, “yeah.”

“Ok, I understand. You’re ashamed to be seen with me.”

“What?” Daria startled back.

“I get it,” he said looking at his scuffed shoes, “I’m older, and a deadbeat, and it’s weird, and you don’t want to explain it to people.”

“No! Trent, that’s not how I feel at all,” she backpedaled, trying to figure out how to explain her anxiety. 

“Then why don’t you want your friends or family to know about us?”

“I promise, all of my friend already knows about us – she just happens to be away at an artist’s colony – those people aren’t my friends, they’re just people I go to school with.”

“So if they don’t matter, what’s wrong with going in there and eating some pizza? I didn’t think you cared so much about what other people thought of you.”

“I don’t … usually … it’s just,” she looked down insecurely, “for whatever reason _you_ think I’m cool, but those people just see me as a brain, that weird girl who talks funny, reads too much, and doesn’t fit in. My sister won’t even admit to being my sister at school for fear of being tainted by association.”

Trent chuckled and it turned into a cough, “like someone recently told me, you’re not telling me anything I didn’t already guess. Who gives a damn what the sheep in your high school think? I’ve known you for a while now Daria and some idiot who wears his football uniform in June isn’t going to change my mind about you.”

“Ok, if you want to be all rational about it,” she conceded. 

He looked over her shoulder and smirked before kissing her and taking her hand. “Hey, Daria’s sister,” he greeted Quinn just as her and her fashion cronies walked past giving them skeptical glances. 

Sandy made a big deal out of the reveal that Daria was Quinn’s sister as they walked by but Stacy just shrugged, “well yeah, we knew that we were just being polite,” looking back at them she added, “he’d be kinda cute … if he wore more fashionable clothes that is.”

“Ripped jeans ...” Tiffany said with a shudder, “eee- ew!”

Trent raised his eyebrow at Daria, _“those_ are the popular kids and you thought I’d judge you for not being like them?” 

“Fair enough,” she said with a hint of a smile. They turned around and walked back toward the pizza place, “fair warning though, Quinn might tell my parents about us after that stunt … and if my parents find out they’ll freak out and ground me or ban me from your house or something.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t let that opening pass.”

“Hey! There’s Daria with that guy who _claims_ to be her brother! I’m going to trap him in his own web of lies!” Kevin said as they entered the restaurant.

“Oh Kevin! You’re so … Spidery!” Brittany jumped up behind him.

“And now, a word from the village idiots,” Daria said to Trent as the pair approached.

“Hi! Daria, Hi! Trent!”

“Hi.”

“Hey.”

“Say there, um, Trent, if you’re Daria’s brother, how come we never saw you before this year?”

“Um … I’m in here all the time.” Kevin turned to Brittany and she nodded yes.

“Oh … sorry man.”

“I have something to tell you two, Trent’s not my brother.”

“AhHa!”

“He’s the mad scientist who built me. He has to hang around in case my internal organs fall out.”

“EEEW!”

“I’m her date.”

“Ha Ha ha.”

“Wait a minute Kevy, he’s serious! Daria! Dating your best friend’s brother? It’s right out of a romance novel!”

“Uhh …” Trent seemed to be at a loss for quite how to deal with these two.

“Wait! Aren’t you also in that band that played at my party?” Chirped Brittany. 

“Yeah, Mystic Spiral … though we’re thinking of changing the name.”

A weird look came across Britanny’s face and if Daria didn’t know better it almost looked like she was thinking. “Come on babe, let’s give the two love birds some time alone!”

“Ok, babe!”

“And that’s why I’ll dump without a second thought if you ever call me babe,” Daria said to Trent as they made their way to a booth.

“Noted.”

From two booths down, Brittany’s voice carried the worried question, “wait a minute … if Daria’s dating a musician, does that make her … cool?”

**Author's Note:**

> There has never been a fictional character that I identify with stronger than Daria Morgandorfer. It's kinda surprising that I've made it fourteen stories (+ like five unfinished fics that only live on my hard drive) into my fanfiction career before writing my favorite ship of all time. 
> 
> I've got this outlined at seven chapters, but I'm habitually bad at estimating end length.


End file.
